Concrete-working machine



Oct. 9 1923.

W. J. FITZGERALD CONCRETE WORKING MACHINE Original Filed June 21. 1919 2 sheets-She 1 Oct. 9 1923.

CONCRETE WORKING MACHINE Original Filed June 21 1919 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I Eatented Get. 9, 1923.

"warren are WILLIAM .r. FITZGERALD, or Enron, WISCONSIN;

CONCRETE-WORKING MACHINE application filed June. 21,1919, Serial To all whom it may concern:

,Be it known that I, TWIr-LIA J. FIT GERALD, a citizen of the United States, res siding at Beloit, in the county of Rock and 'State. of Wisconsin, have invented, certain. new and useful Improvements in a Concrete,

supportand set of tracksifor a traveling. spreader; said tracksto .be-mounted on the.

reinforcing ro ds usfed inthe columns of the building. I p r .1 In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a sectiononthe line 1- 1 of Fig. 2 of.;a .de-

vice embodying my, invention, illustrating more particularly the mounting of the main track on the projecting .reinforcingrods. Fig. 2 is a plan view of my improveddevice and Fig. 3-is a section on theilineB-3 of Fig. 2. L a In the embodiment of my invention S61 lected for illustration, apair of main tracks A extending for a, considerable distance 7 and preferably for the entire length of the building to be constructed, carry atraveling frame B. A smaller frame C is mounted ontraclrs on the frame B extending transversely to the tracks A and carries a pivotally mounted tool the concrete.

In the erection of ,a large building of reinforced concrete, the reinforcing metal rods in thecolumns are customarily allowed to proyect a considerable distance above the level of any given floor. After the floor-in. question has been finished, these rods are :imbedded in the concrete of the colums supporting the next floor above. and form,a-

tie between two floors. At the time a "given floor is being poured, these upwardly pr0-. jecting rods arethe;0nly,,solid. foundationavailable for mounting tracks, scaffolding or any sort of machinery. I have rovided means for -mount-ing, the tracks; theprojecting ends of these reinforcing rods com rising plates 9 associated with any .de-'

sire number of angles ldsuita bly bolted to or trowel. D for spreading in. 305,757. Renewed Au usta'i, 1923.

as! rarest 'QFFECE; i

them. Each angle 10 extends vertically downward and at its lower. end carries U-bolt 11 adapted toembrace and clamp one of the reinforcing rods 12.: In mounting the; plates on thereinforcing rods,enough angles are used to providea firm support. The rods 12 need not all touch the plate .or even cut off at or below: the level theplate as one or two rods projecting above the level can be easily bentto one side out 7 of the way,' I-ioeamsv 13 boltedend to end bysuitable clips 14 bridge the space between [adjacent plates and support the main.

railsA. I a

Where the span between adjacent columns is very great, a considerably lighter beam for. supportingthe main rails Aymay be used if; temporary vertical braces or struts are used to brace. each span-t0 the wood false flooring on which the concrete is' poured.

against buckling may als o be diminished:

with a resultantsaving the size of beam required by lntermed atestruts or, braces running out to the side and diagonally down to thefloor level. .All such bracesmay, of. course, be removed as soon as the. carriage,

has completed. the'work and'passed onto the next section of'track. In fact, the track, itself,.is removed for: uisein a newposition."

The main carriage B comprises a pair of l I end channels 15 and a: pair. of transverse Lbeams 16 supporting the rails lT and forming with said channels a rectangular, frame. Axles 1 8 suitably journaled in bearings ,19 fastened to the webs. of the channels 15 o and reinforced by any convenient number of intermediate bearingsv v20 carry wheels21 engaging the. main rails A; to support the main carriage B. The small carriage 6 comprises a similar rectangular frameworkformed of channels 22 and 23, the latter having suitable. bearings 24 to receive the ends voftheaxles. 25 carrying wheels 26 upon which the carriage rolls. The vertical rod 27 carries the trowel D suitably. secured to the lower end of said rod and extends upwardlythrough' autube 28 suitably fastenedto plate 29 on the carriage C, through a bushing on the upper plate.

3 1, and at a suitable distance above thecar-Y riage carries a handwheel 32. ,Collarsf33" and 34' restrain the shaft from" endwise movement.

Means are prov ded for mov ngthe ma n.

75 The sidewise rigidity necessary to lnsure.

carriage B along the main rails A and also for moving the small CtLI'lllgC-b C along the transverse tracks 17. Herein l have shown two hand wheels and 36 adapted to be operated by a workman standing y them.-

The hand wheel is illustrated as connected to one of the axles 18 by beingmounu ed directly on a suitable prolongation oi said axle. Any other suitable transmission for this purpose may of course be employed. The hand wheel 36 rotates the shaft 37 car rying the drum 38 suitably mounted on.

brackets '39 extending from the channel 15.

A cable is attached at ll to one side of the carriage C andv passes several times around the drum 3S thence back to the other end of the carriage B over a suitable idler pulley tQtoi be attached at 43 to the opposite side of the carriage. C. will be seen "that the workman stationed by the two wheels 35 and 36fcan more the carriage C in any dlrection by suitable manipulation of the wheels.

Another workman stands upon and car lied to and fro by the carriage C an'doperates the trowel'D by. means of the hand wheel 32. While the trowel D may be of any desired form and might for instance .eXtend in opposite directions from the shaft 27, I prefer the form illustrated as less clumsy to handle and more e'l'licient in working close up to the reinforcing rods 18 than a double ended trowel. it will be seen that I haye provided a suitable system of tracks for the operation of a trowel or tool over large areas of concrete without the necessity of a workman walking on the concrete" being poured. It is within the scope of my invention-to operate one or all of thehan d wheels32, 35 and 36 by a suitablezsource of power such as a gasoline engine or-an electhe operators.

While have shown and described in detail the embodiment of my invention at present preferred, it is obvious that many improvements and modifications will naturally tric motor thereby dispensing with one of occur to those skilled in the art. I aim in .zont 211 plane.

the subjoined claimsto cover all such legitimate modifications, and improvements.

I claim, as my invention 1. In concrete workingmachinery, in

combination, a pair of tracks mounted above the floor level of a building, a carriage mounted on said tracks and slidable along the same, means for, slidingdthe carriage,

and a concrete spreading and "smoothing tool .horizontally mounted on the carriage,

and means for rotating said tool in a hori-,

2. In concrete working machinery, in

combination, a pair of tracks, a traveling carriage on said tracks, a second pair of tracks on sa d carriage extending transuversely to the first mentioned pair of tracks, a second carriage slidable along the second pair-of tracks, means for sliding the first mentioned carriage, means for sliding the second mentioned carriage, said means for both carriages being simulta neously or separately operable from the same side of. said machine a concrete spreading and smoothing tool mounted on the second carriage so as to be yerti'cally adjustable, and means for freelyrotatingsaid tool in a horizontal plane. 7 p

ln concrete working machinery, 1n

combinationya pair of tracks, atraveling carriage on said tracks, transverse"tracks on said travehng' carriage, a second carriage V slidable on said transverse tracks, a concrete spreadmg and smoothing tool hor1zontally.

mounted n said second carriage, means for .vertically adjustingsaid tool, means for v freely. rotating saidtool in a horizontal; plane, and means for sliding sa d; second mentioned carriage along said transverse track comprising, a' drum at one end of said first mentioned carriage, an idler-pulley at the other end oft-he said'first mentioned carriage, a rope'having its ends attached to opposite sides of said second ine'ntioned car rlage and passing around said idlerpulley and drum," and means for rotating said drum.

4'. Arconcrete finishingmachine having, in combination," a concrete spreading and smoothing tool mounted for rotation about a vertical axis, manual means for controlling the rotation of said tool, and means for movingsaid tool acrossfthe. surface to .be

finished in contact with the concrete. to

spread and smooth it.

5. In concrete working machinery,

each having: a vertical leg clamped to. one of the reinforcing rods, and a horizontal leg,"

and a plate laid across the horizontal legs of a plurality of angles and supported thereyl i 6. In concrete working machinery, in

combination with a plurality of .Vertical supporting members, a plurality of supports each comprising, a horizontal plate, a pluin. combination, means for mounting a track on the reinforcing rods projecting above'the unfinished upper ends of the columns of a building, comprising a plurality of angles ralityof angles attached to'each horizontal cal columns" of said building, a traveling.

carriage on said tracks, a second carriage transversely movable on said traveling car-' 'riage over substantially the entire distance between said first mentioned tracks, and

means at one side of said first mentioned,

' port for mounting it in place on said members, said mounting means being adjustable to allow for the irregularity of said members.

9.1n concrete Working machinery, in

combination With a plurality of regularly spaced groups of irregular upwardly projecting members, a support associated With each group, adjustable means engaging the members of each group for mounting the support on the group, and tracks laid onthe supports.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand. I

WILLIAM J. FITZGERALD: 

